Back in 2001, Doug Sohn opened a hot dog stand that focused on one thing: encased meats.  Over the following 14 years, until its closing in October of 2014, Hot Doug’s became a cultural landmark in the city of Chicago.  In 2013, Sohn, along with co-writer Kate DeVivo, chronicled the history of his restaurant in book form.

The book tells the tale of the restaurant, both from Doug’s point of view and from testimonials from friends and customers.  Starting with the germ of an idea at his previous job, the book follows the evolution of Hot Doug’s, from its original location, to the fire that forced it to shut down for 6 months, and the eventual move to its final location.

While light on actual content, the book is a love letter to a restaurant that captured the imagination of a city and more.  My last visit was in the summer of 2012, waiting an hour in line when I should have been at work.  Reading the book was a nice trip back in time.